A rainy, wet day set the stage for this photo. I liked the layers, the decaying log with the stub of a branch behind the squirrel, the contrast between the new-growth trees and the duller background from the burned out forest and of course the little star of the show.
I have a tendency to cheer for the underdog. Perhaps it’s one of the side effects of being a Canadian.
I like the storyline of the little guy defying the odds and becoming the star of the show. It never grows old. Sometimes it even works its way into my images.
Good photographs tend to have a focus point but nobody ever said it had to be biggest part. The squirrel in the photo covers a tiny percentage of the overall space but found a perfect spot on the log to grab some attention. At least it sure got mine. The little guy reminded me that sometimes size or the fact that I’m looking at a common creature doesn’t stop me from making a photo I like.
Here’s to the little guys that can still steal the show.
Krahnpix 
That is key for me – do you enjoy the shot – if anyone else does then that is a bonus – so is all the camera club stuff and rules of composition – take the shot and if you are happy the rest will follow (that’s what I told the bank manager)
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If your bank manager bought that, you clearly have found a keeper!
Yes all that other advice should only be helping us get the shots we like.
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I agree with your tentative ID as a golden-mantled ground squirrel. I’d love to see one! At first glance, it really does look like a chipmunk, and there are so many varieties. A fine shot and very effective composition!
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Thanks. I actually enjoy exploring beauty and finding interesting compositions much more than trying to identify various species which I often find confusing. But if you agree with my tentative ID then we’ll go with it.
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Size doesn’t matter when you’re cute like this little squirrel 😀 He might be small but without him the picture would be completely different.
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Maybe the moral of the story is that we should all find huge logs and stand on them:)
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Whether I’m shooting with a telephoto lens or a macro lens, most of the time I am worrying about filling the frame. Your thoughtful commentary and wonderful image serve as a helpful reminder that it’s important to take in the big picture and, most importantly, that nothing can substitute for a beautifully composed shot.
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Thanks. I usually prefer to go in much tighter in my shots but I found myself in this location with a shorter zoom so it helped me look at other options and I liked the effect. It definitely helps the area around it is interesting.
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Wow. You have a zoom lens? I thought you shot everything with a 500mm lens.
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Oh yes. My 70-200 is a good friend and has helped me take many photos.
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The spectacular or large seems to get the most note, but it is indeed the small and sometimes unnoticeable that is the key to the ecosystem’s success. They certainly do deserve our interest…not to mention they have a very high cuteness factor.
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I do have to keep reminding myself of that since the larger ones can be quite attractive and dramatic.
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Good lord that critter is so adorable!
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They are cute and quick. It’s hard to keep up.
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Oh you are so right, little guys can indeed steal the show. Something that is best we all keep in mind I feel.
But besides that there is a lot to look at in this image which I like quite a bit.
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That area is one of my favourites that we regularly visit when we go to the mountains. Even on wet, rainy days I found a photo! Glad you liked it.
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I thought it was a chipmunk, but you have pretty squirrels. Our squirrels are kinda plain, although the black ones moved in from Canada.
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You did have me wondering if it was a chipmunk but after some checking I believe it is a golden-mantled ground squirrel which looks nearly the same as a chipmunk. That invasion of black one from Canada sounds dangerous:)
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They are cute though. In the last six to ten years or so, many of them started appearing here. They are really Grey Squirrels, just darker in color. Breeding between them seems to have made the black become more dominant, yet now I have been seeing less black squirrels. Not sure why.
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Interesting to note those changes.
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Amen to that! 😀
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Happy to hear you agree.
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The little guys indeed! Sometimes I don’t even see them there. I have so many photos where I was shooting flora and when I go to edit, I see wonderful insects that suddenly appear in the shot. I consider it a bonus! I love your shot.
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Yes there are so many things to see if we look carefully – lots of pleasant surprises. Glad you enjoyed the shot.
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Certainly tells a forest story…I love it!!
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That forest certainly had a story with the trees rising again after the fire.
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It’s so plain to see in your photo…its story of new growth from ashes…well done!!
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My personal favorite of yours thus far. The rich texture and deep earth color of the log, and how defined every twisting edge appears, contrasted against the blurred background of the almost lime-green tree-tops–a rich backdrop, yet wholly overshadowed by one small and furry “Aw…do you see him?”
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You must have liked that photo. You gave a much better description of it than I managed to muster – well said. I am pleased that I found a favourite of yours. Thanks so much for the rich comments.
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I don’t find my description better in any way–different, yes. I enjoyed yours a great deal. Thank you, however, for the “well said”, and you are welcome.
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Real tiny looking fellah – 😀
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It sure is when you take the wider view and look at the large world where it lives.
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